Psychological Anthropology
ANT 4930, Section 12HE
Fall 2013
Tuesdays 8-9th period, Thursdays 9th period
Turlington 2333
Instructor: Dr. Peter Collings
Office: B-135 Turlington Hall
Phone: 392-294-7593
Email: pcollings@ufl.edu
Office Hours: T&R 6th period and by appointment
Course Overview and Objectives
Cultural Anthropology is in a unique position to examine variation in human behavior and psychological
functioning in different social and physical environments. This course is a cross-cultural survey of human
cognition, perception, personality, socialization practices, mental health, and the relationship between the
individual and culture, focusing on the similarities and differences of these phenomena across societies. We
will begin with a historical overview of the discipline as a specific subfield of cultural anthropology, beginning
with its roots in psychoanalysis, the development of the cultural and personality school, and moving toward
more contemporary approaches and directions in the discipline. In addition to a focus on theoretical
perspectives in psychological anthropology, we will also address methodological issues unique to
psychological anthropology.
At the Conclusion of this course, students will be able to:
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Discuss the major theoretical and methodological approaches anthropologists have employed in the
study of psychological anthropology.
Develop an understanding of how anthropologists conduct research, collect data, and interpret their
results.
Articulate the similarities and differences between anthropological and psychological approaches to
the study of human psychological functioning.
Develop a basic understanding of cultural and biological diversity as it obtains in the domain of
human psychology.
Textbooks and Required Reading
The textbooks for the course are as follows:
Lindholm, Charles. 2007. Culture and identity: The history, theory, and practice of psychological
anthropology. New York: Oneworld Publications.
O’Nell, Theresa. 1996. Disciplined hearts: History, identity, and depression in an American Indian
community. Berkeley: University of California Press
Scheper-Hughes, Nancy. 2001. Saints, scholars, and schizophrenics. Berkeley: University of California
Press.
Lindholm is our primary text and will provide us with a general overview of various trends and developments
in psychological anthropology. Scheper-Hughes and O’Nell provide in-depth examinations of specific threads
in the discipline. Much of our reading, however, will come from the primary literature, and so will be
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available as .pdf files, which be distributed through Sakai.
Exams and Grading
Exams (200 pts). There are two exams for this course – a mid-term and a final. Both exams will be a
combination of short answers and longer essay questions. Typically, I will allow some choice on the exams.
Exams will be taken in class via the tried-and-true blue book method. Each exam will be worth 100 points.
Research Poster (175 Points). You will be required to present a research project on a topic of your choice
that relates to psychological anthropology; in lieu of the typical research paper, you will present a poster
detailing the results of your research during the last week of classes. Development of the research project will
occur throughout the semester. You are required to submit a poster proposal outlining the topic of your
research project by Thursday, September 19th; this proposal should describe the topic, including why the
topic is important, and should identify some of the key questions or issues your project will explore (25 pts).
A 250-300 word proposal abstract (25 pts.), and an annotated bibliography (25 pts.) with at least 10 carefully
selected references from scholarly literature is due Thursday, October 17th. You must submit a draft copy
(50 pts.) of your final poster – in electronic format – by Thursday, November 12th . The final poster (also 50
pts.) will be presented on either November 26 or December 3. Grading rubrics for each part of the poster
project will be provided.
Class Participation (50 points). Because of the discussion-oriented nature of the class, students will be
graded on the quality of class participation. Participation is a constructive activity, which means that you
must not only have interesting and useful things to contribute to the discussion but also remain sensitive to
others in the classroom. Being disrespectful of other opinions or hogging the spotlight are just as bad as not
saying anything. Your participation grade is worth 50 points. You should note that 50 points is more than
enough to make for a whole letter grade in this class, so this is not a trivial component of the course.
Because real participation remains such an unusual component of most college classrooms, I should add here
that “participation” and “discussion” are not unstructured activities. Rather, much of the discussion is guided
either by discussion questions provided to accompany readings and periodic small-group, in-class
discussions of particular topics.
Late Assignment Policy: You are required to complete all assignments by the stated due dates. Late
assignments will lose the point equivalent of a letter grade for each day past the deadline. There are no
make-up opportunities for missed assignments or exams, save under extreme circumstances.
As for letter grades, the numbers play out as follows:
A=395+, A-=382-394, B+=369-381, B=352-368, B-=340-351, C+=327-339, C=310-326, C-=297-309, D=255296, E=<255
Policy on Make-ups: Exam and poster due dates (listed below) are not subject to change. Late work will be
penalized 10 pts. for each day past the due date of the assignment. If you anticipate a problem meeting a
deadline, please see me in advance to discuss the matter and make alternative arrangements.
Course Policies, Procedures, and Resources
Elearning/Sakai: I will be using Sakai to manage the course. This means that all important materials can be
viewed online using Sakai, including a copy of the syllabus, exams, assignments and any supplemental
readings or links I might think to post. While Sakai is a useful tool for managing this course, it is important to
remember that this is not an online course, and I am only using Sakai as an organizational tool.
Attendance. I will call roll until I know all of your names, but I do not feel the need to assign a grade based on
attendance. However, given the size of the class and my emphasis on discussion of the material, it will be
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difficult for you to participate if you are not here. You have a responsibility to both the class and yourself to
be here. UF policy is that students will attend all classes. I will also note that class attendance is highly
correlated with your performance on exams, and thus your grade in the course.
Communication: Don’t be shy about contacting me via email, coming to office hours, or asking questions.
Though you are welcome to contact me at my office phone, email is much better.
Classroom Behavior: Being in class is an indication that you are here to learn something about anthropology. I
expect that cell phones will be turned off during the lecture, that you will pay attention in class, and that you
will remain seated during class. Passing notes, chatting with your neighbors, reading the newspaper, doing
your math homework, playing World of Warcraft, surfing Facebook, or texting under the desk are distracting
to and disrespectful of everyone in the class. If you do need to leave early, please sit in a location where your
movement will cause the least disruption. If you need to chat with your neighbor, please wait until after class.
Academic Honesty. Unless it is specifically connected to assigned collaborative work, all work should be
individual. Evidence of collusion (working with someone not connected to the class or assignment),
plagiarism (use of someone else’s published or unpublished words or design without acknowledgment) or
multiple submissions (submitting the same work for different courses) will lead to the Department’s and the
University’s procedures for dealing with academic dishonesty. All students are expected to honor their
commitment to the University’s Honor Code and the student conduct code. If you are unsure whether your
activities are legitimate regarding paper writing and exam taking, please do not hesitate to ask me.
Accommodation for Students with Disabilities: Students requesting classroom accommodation must first
register with the Dean of Students Office. The Dean of Students Office (which is here) will provide
documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the Instructor when requesting
accommodation. Please make any requests by the second week of class.
UF Counseling Services: Resources are available on-campus for students having personal problems or lacking
clear career and academic goals that interfere with their academic performance. These resources include:
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University Counseling and Wellness Center, 3190 Radio Road, 392-1575, personal and career counseling
Career Resource Center, Reitz Union, 392-1601, career development assistance and counseling
Reading & Writing Center, Broward Hall, 392-0791, writing assistance, study skills, test preparation
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Course Outline
The following course outline is approximate. We may spend more or less time on specific topics as class
interest dictates. Exams and due dates, however, will occur as scheduled and are not subject to change.
Important Dates:
Poster Proposals Due: September 19
Mid-Term Exam: October 8
Poster Abstract and Annotated Bibliography Due: October 17
Poster Draft Due: November 12
Final Exam: Due December 10, at 5 pm.
No Class Nov. 19-21 (AAA meetings, Chicago, Nov. 28 (Thanksgiving)
1. Historical Roots and a Basic Orientation to Psychological Anthropology. Emics and Etics.
August 27-29: Lindholm ch. 1-2, Guercio 1986, Briggs 1970, Lambo 1978
September 3-5: Lindholm ch. 3-4, Harris 1976, Segall et al. 1990
2. Culture and Personality, The Yale Synthesis, national character, and socialization.
September 10-12: Lindholm ch. 5, Benedict 1934, La Barre 1958
September 17-19: Barnouw 1978, LeVine 1982
9/19: Paper Proposals Due
September 24-26: Lindholm Ch. 6, Barry et al. 1959; Whiting and Whiting 1978, Whiting and Whiting
1975
October 1-3: Hallowell 1976, Spiro 1993, Geertz 1984, Hay 1977
October 8: Mid-term Exam, in class
3. Culture, the Individual, and Emotional Expression.
October 10: Lindhom 7-8
October 15-17: Scheper-Hughes Introduction, 1-3, Lindholm 9-10
10/17: Abstracts and Bibliographies Due
October 22-24: Scheper-Hughes 4-6, Conclusions, Lindholm 11
4. Mental Health and Mental Illness.
October 29-31: O’Nell Introduction, ch. 1-2, Kleinman 1987, Hallowell 1934
November 5-7: O’Nell 3-6
11/12: Poster Drafts Due
November 12-14: Lindholm 12-13
November 26, Dec 3: Poster Sessions
December 10: Final Exams Due at 5 pm.
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List of Readings in .pdf format:
Barnouw, Victor
1978. An interpretation of Wisconsin Ojibwa culture and personality. In: George D. Spindler (ed.), The
Making of Psychological Anthropology; pp. 64-86. Berkeley: University of Caliornia Press.
Barry, Herbert III, et al.
1959. Relation of child training to subsistence economy. American Anthropologist 61: 51-63.
Benedict, Ruth
1934. Anthropology and the abnormal. Journal of General Psychology 10: 59-80.
Briggs, Jean
1970. Kapluna daughter: Adopted by the Eskimo. In: Peggy Golde (ed.), Women in the field. Chicago:
Aldine de Gruyter.
Freud, Sigmund
1918. The infantile recurrence of totemism. In Totem and Taboo; pp. 130-207. New York: Vintage Books.
Geertz, Clifford
1984. 'From the native's point of view:' On the nature of anthropological understanding. In: Richard A.
Shweder, and Robert A. Levine (eds.), Culture theory: Essays on mind, self, and emotion. Pp. 123-136.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Guercio, Gino
1986. Secrets of Haiti's living dead. Harvard Magazine. January/February: 31-37.
Hallowell, A. I.
1934. Culture and mental disorder. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology 29: 1-9.
1976. Ojibwa ontology, behavior, and world view. In Contributions to anthropology: Selected papers of A.
Irving Hallowell; University of Chicago Press: Chicago.
Harris, Marvin
1976. History and significance of the emic/etic distinction. Annual Review of Anthropology 5: 329-350.
Hay, Thomas H.
1977. The development of some aspects of the Ojibwa self and its behavioral environment. Ethos 5: 71-89.
Kleinman, Arthur
1987. Anthropology and psychiatry: The role of culture in cross-cultural research on illness. British
Journal of Psychiatry 151: 447-454.
Lambo, Thomas Adeoye
1978. Psychotherapy in Africa. Human Nature, March: 176-180.
La Barre, Weston
1958. The influence of Freud on anthropology. American Imago 15: 275-328.
LeVine, Robert A.
1982. Culture, Behavior, and Personality, 2nd edition. New York: Aldine de Gruyter.
Segall, Marshall H. et al.
1990. Human behavior in global perspective: An introduction to cross-cultural psychology. New York:
Pergamon Press.
Spiro, Melford
1993. Is the Western conception of the self 'peculiar' in the context of world cultures? Ethos 21: 107-153.
Whiting, John M., and Beatrice Whiting
1975. Aloofness and intimacy of husbands and wives: A cross-cultural study. Ethos 3: 183-207.
1978. A strategy for psychocultural research. In: George D. Spindler (ed.), The Making of Psychological
Anthropology; pp. 41-61. Berkeley: University of California Press.
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